


That Famous Happy End

by Heart_Seoul_Soshi



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 08:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12361692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heart_Seoul_Soshi/pseuds/Heart_Seoul_Soshi
Summary: The royal cotillion. The biggest night at Auradon Prep. After an entire evening of skirting past each other, two best friends are finally getting their chance to dance.





	That Famous Happy End

**Author's Note:**

> from an anonymous request on tumblr, dedicated to "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin, from Disney's Enchanted

A night to remember. Grander than Ben's coronation, more sublime than any other dance, gathering, or special occasion held at Auradon Prep before. The royal cotillion. A celebration that would have been unforgettable regardless even if a sea witch and a dragon hadn't crashed the party. Guess they lost their invitations. Sopping wet earlier in the night thanks to said sea witch, the partygoers had since dried off as the evening went on, as song after song played and dance after dance was splashed. A night of bonds old and new, of friendships and family ties lost together among the music. Two friends in particular had been longing for a dance all night long.  
  
A few turns and spins during the school's big musical number were nothing to Mal and Evie, a real dance together was what they were after.  The two of them couldn't let cotillion pass them by without it, it was a night for best friends just as much as it was a night for couples. Evie's attention had drifted to Mal the entire cotillion, even before her beautiful blue and yellow Evie original had transformed into an equally beautiful purple. Evie couldn't lament the loss of her dress, Mal was still stunning either way, still so happy and carefree dancing around the ship and mingling in between songs.   
  
It was tough to find a chance to break away from Doug, tough to find a chance to pull Mal away from Ben, but Evie could feel the celebration beginning to wind down, and knew that if she didn't act soon she wouldn't get to act at all tonight. With a smile and a silent gesture to Doug she moved across the deck during an intermission, deciding beforehand that the next song would belong to her and Mal no matter what.  
  
The royal couple rested over the port side railing, looking out across the sea and the starry sky. Evie didn't even have to announce herself, Mal somehow sensed her walking up and turned, Ben turning along with her. Evie gave the king a smile, a courteous bow of the head, and then looked to Mal.  
  
"May I have the next dance?" she asked, holding her hand out the exact way she had earlier in the night, when she led Mal back to Ben after her first life-changing transformation into dragon.  
  
Mal giggled, her night just getting better and better.  
  
"You may."  
  
A little wave to Ben was Mal's quick goodbye, and Evie led her away, into the mist of voices and laughter as Auradon Prep awaited the next song.  
  
"I was worried we wouldn't get a dance," Evie admitted, keeping Mal's gloved hand held tightly in hers.  
  
"Yeah? I didn't know you wanted one, I would've danced with you earlier."  
  
"M, this is the biggest night at Auradon Prep, of course I wanted to share it with my best friend!"  
  
They slowed to a stop near the middle of the deck. It had been such a long time since Evie had seen Mal this happy.  
  
"You know we meant everything we said to each other back on The Isle, Evie," Mal told her. "Nothing has to change. It doesn't matter if I'm a lady of the court, or if you're a royal councilor, we're still going to share everything."  
  
Evie's smile was radiant.  
  
"It will always be you and me," she said.  
  
Mal nodded.  
  
Up above, and all at once, the hanging lights slowly dimmed, making the night appear to be more bathed in starlight than anything else.  A new song started to play over the speakers, and voices quieted with the introduction of violins and the accompanying notes of piano keys, putting together a soft, swilling melody.  
  
"Looks like this is our dance," Mal said.  
  
"Looks like," Evie couldn't resist, she held her hand out to Mal once more. "Shall we?"  
  
Mal curled her fingers around Evie's.  
  
"We shall."  
  
And the song began.  
  
 _"...You're in my arms...and all the world is calm."  
  
"The music playing on for only two..."_  
  
Hand in hand, only two moved to the center of the dancefloor, walking among the other pairs who had already begun to sway to the music.  
  
 _"So close together...and when I'm with you, so close...to feeling alive."_  
  
Mal and Evie found their place, turning to face each other under the softened glow of the lights. For a moment, Evie didn't know what to do. Standing there watching Mal was all she could manage, until almost of its own free will, her body responded, slightly readjusting her grip on Mal's hand and laying the other hand near the small of her back. Mal did the same with an almost identical set of unconscious, automatic movements, resting her free hand on the soft skin of Evie's shoulder. Their eyes locked, both gazes suddenly a little wider, strangely mesmerized. But there was no time to think about it, because the harmony built, and then they were dancing.  
  
 _"A life goes by, romantic dreams must die..."_  
  
In perfect circles they moved, gliding effortlessly across the deck and never once needing to take their eyes off of each other. Mal's incredible green watched Evie with that same fixated stare as they gently spun around the dancefloor, and Evie looked deep into it. There were those little flecks of gold a love-spelled Ben had once mentioned, Evie could see them clearly for herself now, ringing around her pupil and creating the illusion of a miniature sun in each of her eyes, rays and all. Evie felt her lips parting in something like a gasp at the sight of it, but she didn't falter in her steps, keeping in time with the heavenly song.  
  
 _"...So I bid mine goodbye, and never knew..."_  
  
Mal was only semi-aware of the world turning again and again around them. Her best friend's eyes, with that sultry dip to her eyelids, had her full attention. The world was just background noise when she looked into that wonderfully chocolate brown, and in this light, Mal could even see some of her own green in Evie's eyes, as if the bond of a decade of history between them had let Evie adopt the color for herself. The sapphire of her eyeliner brought it all together, a medley of blue, green, and brown—if Mal's eyes held the sun, then Evie's held the earth.  
  
Together they weaved a path in and among the other dancers, a ship full of them, but the song had not lied.  The music played on for only two.  
  
 _"So close was waiting...waiting here with you."_  
  
A blissful smile tugged the corner of Mal's lips, bringing out her dimples and calling forth a tiny smile from Evie as well. They stopped their circling, now making soft side-steps from left to right, back and forth. Evie's hand pushed at Mal's back, bringing her in closer for a second, only to step back and hold her at arm's length by both of her hands. Neither of them could stay separated for long, not even for the sake of the dance, and then they were back together again, the earth and the sun.  
  
Losing themselves to a song seemed to be their specialty.  
 _  
"And now, forever, I know..."_  
  
The first twirl came, in time to a bit of the music where the melody tinkled like that of a music box, as if Mal were a perfectly sculpted ballerina spinning on top. The second twirl followed, but Evie drew Mal in halfway, letting her back come to rest against her, taking Mal's left hand in her own left hand and curling her arm around Mal's waist.  
  
 _"All that I wanted...to hold you...so close..."_  
  
Again to the left and again to the right they swayed, exactly like that. First out of the corner of her eye and then with a slight turn of the head Evie looked at Mal, unable to read the expression on her face. The smile had faded, the beautiful lips now parted in something that vaguely resembled wonderment, the eyes watching their joined hands with innocent, so innocent curiosity. There was something within Evie that so badly wanted to whisper Mal's name, but a stronger something within her that refused to shatter the magic, like anything other than the music would break whatever spell the two were suddenly under. So when the sounds of the song's piano striking majestically lower notes signaled the chorus about to hit, Evie took her best friend back into their circling along the deck, holding her like she was a creation of glass.  
  
 _"So close to reaching that famous happy end...almost believing this one's not pretend."_  
  
For the third twirl, Evie let Mal out on her own, briefly commanding the floor for herself as she spun with all the grace of that music box ballerina. Her spiraling curls of purple were what captivated Evie just then, flowing in turn with Mal's body and Mal's dress. With one single step from Evie they were face to face again, back in each other's arms as they continued their circles.  
 _  
"And now you're beside me...and look how far we've come..."_  
  
Mal watched Evie's lips, with their ruby red, her eyes falling half-lidded as she did so.  
  
So...when? When did Mal suddenly find herself envisioning the softness of her best friend's lips?  When did Evie suddenly find Mal's name trying to fight its way free from her ruby red over and over again like a prayer? Was it just within the confines of this one dance? ...Or maybe back on an island, alone in a hideout, singing loyalty and promises to each other under a stained glass window.  
  
Evie didn't care anymore.  
  
She leaned in oh-so-slowly, Mal's heart stopping for a split-second in anticipation as Evie's head came to rest against the side of hers, as Evie's lips came to rest right by her ear.  
  
"Mal..." she whispered.  
  
The girl never imagined her own name could make her shiver so, but it was a wonderful kind of shiver, one where chills melted right away into warmth, one where her eyes closed, a smile sprung to life, she pressed her cheek to Evie's neck, and slipped her fingers into the long, loose blue hair to cradle the back of her head.  
  
 _"So far...we are...so close."_  
  
"...Evie."  
  
Oh, what a beautiful song.  
  
The piano and violins gave way to winds that resounded like a magical gale flowing through a forest glade, horns rang triumphant as space on the dancefloor cleared for the two of them and the two of them alone. When Evie led Mal in her twirls it was not for long, bringing her quickly back into her arms like she couldn't bear to have her out of them.  Mal's laughter was pure, almost childlike as they cut a wider and faster path along the deck, a waltz straight out of a fairytale. The song had picked up into passion and heart, filling everything with such carefree warmth it felt like Evie could radiate a fairy's glow inside and out. Mal's laughter was contagious, and overcome with it herself, Evie's heart soared as she picked Mal up a bit and lifted her into the air, happily and willingly trapped in her sunlight as she turned with her once and then set her gently back down on her feet, having no trouble with Mal's small and petite form.  
  
Like a storm of a spring shower settling, their song eased back into slower, more sentimental tidings just as Evie leaned in close once more, not entirely sure what she was leaning in for this time but knowing that whatever it was—be it whisper, or touch, or even kiss—would end up in sheer magic either way.  
  
"Mind if I cut in?"  
  
The hand on her shoulder then was not Mal's, it pulled her away and turned her to see Doug, warily eyeing the two girls. Just steps behind him was Ben, with innocence yet urgency in  _his_  eyes, looking to Mal with a shy smile and silently inviting her back to him. Mal seemed stunned, almost bewildered as she studied Doug, as if she'd been awoken from a dream and didn't quite have her bearings yet.  
  
"...No, of course not," she eventually said, frowning to herself like her ears couldn't believe her mouth just said those words. "...She's all yours."  
  
Doug held his hand out to Evie, who examined it for a second as if she didn't know what to do with it. Ben already had Mal back at his side, taking her hand and starting to lead her away.  
  
 _"Oh, how could I face the faceless days, if I should lose you now?"_  
  
"Evie?" Doug prodded.  
  
But Evie glanced at him, and then glanced at Mal's retreating figure. All night long she had danced with Doug—and not once did it feel like that. How everything,  _everything_  she held inside her was screaming to not make this same mistake twice, to not hand Mal over to Ben so easily, to not give up her best friend's heart without a fight. And now? Now that within the lyrics of a song she discovered that her best friend's heart might hold more than friendship?  _Please_ , her mind seemed to beg,  _please don't make the same mistake twice_.   
  
But she couldn't make that decision on her own. She couldn't decide or guess what Mal felt from one little dance, for Mal's apparent happily ever after was walking right there beside her, taking her away.  
  
Evie would leave her be. That, she decided right then and there. Evie would let her go, again, into her fairytale ending, unless the forces of magic living both above and below moved heaven and earth to give her some little sign that this was indeed a mistake.  
  
Some small hint of what Evie should do.  
  
...And then Mal turned her head, looking back over her shoulder at Evie with her sunlight brightening the second she saw her.  
  
"...I'm so sorry, Doug."  
  
Evie gave his hand a squeeze and then all but ran across the deck to catch Mal, with no need, as Mal too had torn herself away from Ben with an apology and met Evie halfway.  They didn't need to say a word to each other, they could get the words all sorted out later. For now, all they needed was touch; hand in hand, face to face, chest to chest.  
  
 _"We're so close to reaching that famous happy end, almost...believing...this one's not pretend."  
  
"Let's go...on dreaming...for we know we are..."_  
  
Be it whisper, or touch, or even kiss, Evie knew that whatever it was she was leaning in for would end up in sheer magic either way.  
  
And magic it was indeed, Evie's ruby red pressed to Mal's mouth, guided by the song, the entire evening, and the starlight above them.  
  
 _"So close...so close..."  
  
"And still...so far."_  
  
While they incredibly weren't before, many eyes were on them now, Ben and Doug's included.  Still, Mal and Evie kept silent with smiles, closed eyes, and with their foreheads resting against one another's, not daring to break this spell they had fallen under. They didn't need to say a word to each other, or anyone else. They could get the words all sorted out later, after cotillion, and after the magic had released them for a moment. For now, all they needed was touch; hand in hand, face to face, chest to chest, heart to heart.  
  
So,  _so_  close.


End file.
